Combination undergarment for stout women



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l. E.-KYE| Y COMBINATION UNDERGARMENT FOR sToUT woMEN Filed Feb. e, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 1 ,450,683 I. E. KELLY VCOMBINATION UNDERGARMENT FOR STOUT WOMEN Filed Feb. 8, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Apr. si? 1923.

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' of chemises and in which crotch Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

,UfNiTED STATES IRENE E. KELLY, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION UNDERGARMENT FOR STOUT WOMEN.

Application filed February' 8, 1922. Serial vNo. 535,081.

T 0 all 'whom v7 muy concern.' i

Be it known that l, lnnNn E.' KnLLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Highland Park, in the countyof Lake' and Sta-te of Illinois, have invented a certain newl and useful Improvement -in Combination Under-garments for Stout Women, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My 'invention relates to those undergarments for women that have the general form pieces join the. fronts and backs of the garments at the bottoms thereof. \Vhcn such a garment is worn by a st-out woman itis apt to become uncomfortable when thc wearer assumes a stooping or sitting posture and is also liable to be torn when such a posture is assumed.

In order to overcome tlzese disadvantages I form the back of the garment in a lower section whose t-op is at the waistline ofthe garment and the upper section ywhich is continued below thetop side of the lower section to form an apron to cover the upper portion of said lower section in the various relative positions of these garment sections. I also employ an elastic which I assemble with the top edge of the` aforesaid lower garment section and which I anchor at its ends at the sides of said lower garment section sov that Whenever the wearer resumes an upright position the elastic will restore the lower garment section toits proper positiou. l

I also desirably provide an opening in one side of the garment that extends from the region of the waist of the garment through the bottom thereof` there being desirably means for buttoning this opening partially Slut in order `that the garment may retain its normal shape.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of garment made in accordance with the invention with the opening at the side thereof buttoned partially shut; Fig'. 2 is a view illustrating the lower portion of the garment, the opening formation at one side of the garment, and, more clearly the location of the crotch piece; Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the garment in position upon a wea-rer who is standing upright. this Figure being taken looking toward the front of the garment; Fig. 4 is a View illustrating the garment upon a wearer that has assumed ment. to draw it snugly into place.

a stooping posture, this figure being taken from the rear; and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the garment upon a wearer who has assumed a sitt-ing post-ure` this view also being taken from the rear. i

Like parts are indicated b v similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The garment illustrated has the general 4form of a chemise which, in the embodiment of the invention shown, has its top edge 1 at the level of the arm pits, the back and front of the garment being connected at the top of the garment by means of shoulder straps 2, 3 that may be passed over the shoulders of the wearer. A draw string l maybe threaded through the top of the garv The garment hangs from the shoulders of thewearer as does a chemise and is constituted a combination garment-by the crotch piece 5that joins the front and back of the garment at the bottom thereof, this crotch piece being midway between Lthe sides of the garment and forming, with the contiguous portions of the garment, openings that receive tlelegs of the wearer.

F or the convenience of the wearer, one side of the garment is formed with an elongated slit lor opening 6 therein, this opening extending from the region of the waist of the garment through the bottom thereof to communicate with the adjacent leg opening. The opening 6 may be provided with a button 7 partially to close it. A piece of tape 8 or other binding may he sewed to the garment along the edges of the upper portions of the opening 6 for the purpose of increasing the strength of the material where the button 7 is to be located and the button hole 9 that is to receive the button. 'lhis'binding also strengthens the bight of the gap 6 at its upper end whereby the cloth may not easily be torn at this place. y

lf desired the crotch piece 5 may be, partially concealed by a small apron 10 attached to the front of the garment.

lhe back of the garment is formed in a lower section 11 and an upper sectionvl/Z, these two sections of the garment being separated where these sections are contiguous in order that they may accommodate them selves, without tearing the garment, to stooping and sitting postures of the wearer. Rcferring to Fig. 4, the upper'back section l2 llo of the garment is pulled away from the lower sec-tion when the wearer stoops. When the wearer sits the lower section is strained away somewhat, from the upper section. In either case the separation of the garment at the contiguous portions of the back sections thereof prevents the garment from being injured. In order that the lower back section of the garment may resume its normal position upon the body of the wearer when upright7 I provide it with an elastic 13 that is threaded through the hem at the top ot' the back lower section 11 and is anchored at its ends to the garment at the sides of the lower garmentsection. This elastic is sufficiently taut to lift the lower garment section whenever the wearer arises from a sitting posture and to hold the bottom secltion of the garment in snug engagement with the body of the Wearerwhen the stoopingy posture of Fig. 4 is assumed. In order that there may be no visiblel gap opened in the back of the garment the top back section 12 of the garment is continued below the lowermostposition that may be assumed b v the top of the lower section of the garment to form an apron 14 which will overhang the upper portioniof the-lower section of the garment in all of the positions of the wearer.

The shaping of the back section of the garment may be effected by means of.

tucks 15.

The entire garment, aside from the shoulder straps, the apron 10, the binding 8, the draw string 4 and the elastic 13 maybe made from two pieces of cloth, the front of the garment, the crotch piece 5 and the lower section 11 of the back of the garment remesa beingmade from one piece of cloth and the upper section 12 of the back of the garment being made from another piece of cloth.

It will be seen from the drawings of the garment and the description thereof that it is so designed as to avoid binding or cutting anywhere, and that it will be easy upon the wearer in all of her postures. Such a garment is of especial advantage to stout or large women.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the Afollowing:

A womans combination undergarment having the general form of a chemise, a crotch piece joining the vfront and back of the garment at the bottom thereof andxdefining, in conjunction withadjacent parts of the garment, openings for the legs of the wearer, one side of the garment having an opening therein that extends from the region of the waist of the garment through the bottom thereof, the back of the garment being formed in a lower section whose top is at the waist line of the garment and an upper section which is continued below the top of said lower section to form an apron to cover the upper portion of said lower section in various relative positions of said sections, and an elastic assembled with the top edge of the aforesaid lower garment section and anchored at its ends at the sides of said lower garment section.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of January A. D., 1922.

IRENE E. KELLY. 

